Antioxidative and radical scavenging effects of phenolics from Vicia sativum.

An acetone extract of Vicia sativum seeds and fractions, comprising low molecular-weight phenolics and tannins, displayed good antioxidant activity.

Palatability of bison semimembranosus and effects of marination.

The present study was conducted to investigate the palatability of bison semimembranosus muscle (SM) and the effects of injection with sodium chloride and sodium tripolyphosphate on cooking yield, colour, shear force and consumer acceptability. Twenty paired SM were obtained from 10 intact male bison (aged 24-30 months); each of these muscles was divided longitudinally into two sections. One section was injected to 110% of its original weight to contain 0.5% sodium chloride and 0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate, while the other was kept as a non-injected control. HunterLab a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values did not differ (P>0.05) between injection treatments; however, injected steaks had lower L* values (darker) compared to controls. Control samples from bison SM were very lean and high in protein but not very tender. Marination by injection was able to significantly reduce shear force values of SM; that is, injected steaks/roasts had significantly (P<0.001) lower shear force values (63.9 N) compared to control samples (102.3 N). Cooking yields for the steaks/roasts from the injected sections were significantly (P<0.001) higher compared to those from control non-injected sections when cooked to either 71 or 77 °C. Bison samples cooked by moist-heat had significantly (P<0.001) lower cooking losses and shear force values compared to those cooked by dry-heat. As expected, steaks/roasts were more tender and had higher cooking yields when cooked to a medium level of doneness (71 °C) compared to an internal temperature of 77 °C (well done). A panel of 80 consumers preferred injected steaks cooked to 77 °C endpoint over other combinations, followed by non-injected steaks cooked to 71 °C, whereas injected steaks cooked to 71 °C and non-injected steaks cooked to 77 °C were equally but least preferred. Hence, injection seems to be protecting against moisture loss at high end-point cooking temperatures.

Effect of L-glucose and D-tagatose on bacterial growth in media and a cooked cured ham product.

Cured meats such as ham can undergo premature spoilage on account of the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria. This spoilage is generally evident from a milkiness in the purge of vacuum-packaged sliced ham. Although cured, most hams are at more risk of spoilage than other types of processed meat products because they contain considerably higher concentrations of carbohydrates, approximately 2 to 7%, usually in the form of dextrose and corn syrup solids. Unfortunately, the meat industry is restricted with respect to the choice of preservatives and bactericidal agents. An alternative approach from these chemical compounds would be to use novel carbohydrate sources that are unrecognizable to spoilage bacteria. L-Glucose and D-tagatose are two such potential sugars, and in a series of tests in vitro, the ability of bacteria to utilize each as an energy source was compared to that of D-glucose. Results showed that both L-glucose and D-tagatose are not easily catabolized by a variety of lactic bacteria and not at all by pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Yersinia enterocolitica. In a separate study, D-glucose, L-glucose, and D-tagatose were added to a chopped and formed ham formulation and the rate of bacterial growth was monitored. Analysis of data by a general linear model revealed that the growth rates of total aerobic and lactic acid bacteria were significantly (P < 0.05) slower for the formulation containing D-tagatose than those containing L- or D-glucose. Levels of Enterobacteriaceae were initially low and these bacteria did not significantly (P < 0.20) change in the presence of any of the sugars used in the meat formulations. Compared to the control sample containing D-glucose, the shelf life of the chopped and formed ham containing D-tagatose at 10 degrees C was extended by 7 to 10 days. These results indicate that D-tagatose could deter the growth of microorganisms and inhibit the rate of spoilage in a meat product containing carbohydrates.

Unraveling the chemical identity of meat pigments.

This review examines the chemistry of nitrite curing of meat and meat products as it relates to the development of cured meat color and provides a detailed account of how nitrite-free processed meats could be prepared using the preformed cooked cured-meat pigment (CCMP). Thus, a chemical description of meat color, both raw and cooked, and characterization of nitrosylheme pigments follows. Based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), visible and infrared spectroscopic studies, evidence has been provided to support the hypothesis that the chemical structure of the preformed CCMP is identical to that of the pigment prepared in situ after thermal processing of nitrite-cured meat and is in fact a mononitrosylheme complex. An appendix, which describes the basic principles of EPR spectroscopy used in the context of this review, is attached.

Characteristics of chicken-seal salami.

Mechanically separated seal meat (MSSM) at 10% (SM-10) and 20% (SM-20) or seal protein hydrolysate (SPH) at 1% (SPH-1) and 2% (SPH-2) prepared from MSSM were used to replace mechanically separated chicken meat (MSCM) in salami formulations. Cured products containing 10 or 20% MSSM had a deeper red colour than those of the controls as noted by Hunter L and a values. Samples containing 20% MSSM had a softer texture as determined by sensory and Kramer shear-compression test studies, which was supported by scanning electron micrographs. All samples were equally acceptable as determined by sensory evaluation, except for SM-20 salamis which were less favoured.

Absence of volatile N-nitrosamines in cooked nitrite-free cured muscle foods.

Nitrite-free cured pork systems were prepared using the preformed cooked cured-meat pigment (CCMP) and sodium ascorbate. Absence of volatile N-nitrosamines in cooked nitrite-free systems was confirmed using a gas chromatography-thermal energy analyzer (GC-TEA) methodology. Similar results were obtained when cod, cod surimi or mixtures containing pork with 15 or 50% cod or cod surimi were used. However, counterpart samples cured with sodium nitrite (156 ppm) and sodium ascorbate (550 ppm) produced N-nitrosodimethylamine at 1·0 ppb levels or less. Results demonstrate that nitrite-free curing of meat and meat/fish systems containing the preformed CCMP is successful in yielding products devoid of volatile N-nitrosamines.